The present invention relates to a computer system having at least one apparatus and a managing computer and in particular to a technique for distributing a program to the apparatus.
Recently, an embedded apparatuses such as a mobile telephone and an information home electric appliance has more and more sophisticated functions. For this, like a personal computer, a program is added and updated in the embedded apparatus. Management of addition and updating of a program requires a large load on a user. More specifically, a program is added and updated for a plenty of apparatuses connected via a network to a management server provided in the system.
On the other hand, like a personal computer, an embedded apparatus simultaneously executes a plurality of programs. Here, conflict of a resource of the embedded apparatus occurs between the programs simultaneously executed. The resource of the embedded apparatus may be, for example, a memory, a CPU, or a network connection resource. As a technique for solving this problem, a resource managing function is disclosed in JP 2006-A-31203. The resource managing function adjusts an apparatus resource conflict between a plurality of programs.
Moreover, there are a plenty of types of the embedded apparatus. Furthermore, embedded apparatuses have different configurations (memory amount, presence/absence of peripheral apparatus, and the like). Accordingly, the management of a program to be updated or added to the embedded apparatus requires a large load.
In order to use a service in various apparatuses, a plenty of programs customized for respective apparatuses are required. Alternatively, one program should be set to cope with various apparatuses. In either case, the program developing cost and the managing cost are increased.
JP-A-2002-49485 discloses a system for customizing a program in accordance with an environment of an apparatus as a distribution destination when the program is distributed. In order to execute the program in the apparatus of the distribution destination, program setting items should be set to appropriate values. The setting items include a server address, a user ID, and a database specification. According to the technique of JP-A-2002-49485, an appropriate value is managed for each of the apparatuses as distribution destinations. When the program is distributed, the managed value is automatically set to a predetermined setting item. This simplifies the customization process.
On the other hand, there is a case that an error is caused only when a particular program is executed in a particular apparatus. In this case, a program provider searches for a cause and corrects the program. Furthermore, the program provider instructs the user of the apparatus where the error has occurred, not to use the specific program until correction of the program is completed.